Abstract: Dick Spelmann (b. 1931) was a book dealer who sold science fiction and fantasy books and helped to organize trade sells at
numerous science fiction conventions in the late twentieth century. This collection consists of his published checklists for
trade paperbacks.

Language: Finding aid is written in
English.

Repository:
University of California, Los Angeles. Library Special Collections.

Open for research. STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact UCLA Library
Special Collections for paging information.

Restrictions on Use and Reproduction

Property rights to the physical object belong to the UC Regents. Literary rights, including copyright, are retained by the
creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright
owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.

Provenance/Source of Acquisition

Acquired April 1980.

Processing Note

Processed by Jesse Erickson in the Center for Primary Research and Training (CFPRT), with assistance from Megan Hahn Fraser,
August 2011.

Dick Spelman was born on June 18, 1931. He worked as a bookseller in the science fiction book trade for more than thirty years.
As a trade bookseller, he has played an active role in the science fiction fan community by helping with the organization
of conventions and heading many of their dealers' rooms, primarily through the 1970s and 80s. His first attendance at a science
fiction convention dates back to 1952, when he attended the Chicon II convention. Thirty years later, Spelman was a member
of the board of directors of Chicon IV. He officially retired from bookselling in 1991 after selling his book business to
Larry Smith. Spelman is also known for having compiled a number of important checklists as references for collectors and booksellers.
In 1976, he authored
A Preliminary Checklist of Science Fiction and Fantasy published by Ballantine Books (1953-1974) and
Science Fiction and Fantasy Published by Ace Books (1953-1968). A year later saw the release of his books
Science Fiction and Fantasy Published by Ballantine Books (1953-1977),
Science Fiction and Fantasy Published by Arkham House (1939-1976), and
Science Fiction and Fantasy Published by Avalon Books. His shorter and more recent works include
The Forgotten Worldcon of '45 published in 1994 and
The Worldcon of 2001 published in 1996.

Scope and Content

A collection of checklists for trade paperbacks dating from 1976 to 1979 compiled by Marty Massoglia and Dick Spelman for
his book selling operation. The checklists are mostly printouts on computer paper, but also included are some of the photo
offset checklists that were compiled by Spelman himself. All materials were published by the Institute for Specialized Literature.